Velocity Frequent Flyer has an excellent and very useful Family Points Pooling feature. It can offer huge benefits to couples and families trying to build their Velocity Points and Status Credits balances.

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How to use Velocity Family Points Pooling and Transfers to combine points and status between accounts was last modified: April 28th, 2020 by Matt Moffitt

Another family benefit is Family Points Transfers, which allow on-demand transfers of Velocity Points between Velocity accounts.

Neither is complex to set up. This guide runs through how to do both and some of the example uses and family benefits.

Etihad A380 Business Class centre seats
Pooling your points with your family members can get you flying Etihad A380 Business Studios more quickly
Qantas Frequent Flyer

Read our guide on how to transfer points into Velocity Frequent Flyer

Read the guide here

What is Velocity Points Pooling?

Family Points Pooling is set up with a beneficiary (the person who will receiving points and status) and contributors (those who will be adding their points and status). The beneficiary is most often the one who does the most travelling.

Family Points Pooling is a nifty feature of Velocity and is designed to get your whole family loyal to the airline. It does this by allowing members in the same household to link accounts to collect and combine points and Status Credits between family members.

Virgin 737 Domestic | Point Hacks
Apart from Velocity, other key programs for Australia-based travellers that allow family points pooling include Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest

Velocity states that a family pool may consist of up to six people, including:

  • two adults over 18 years of age; and
  • foud children under 18 years of age.

When a child turns 18, they will be automatically removed and you may add or swap them for another member. Once the pool has been set up and a beneficiary receives points from contributors, Points Pooling cannot then be reversed.

How does Virgin Family Points Pooling work?

Using Family Pooling means that every time family members earn points and Status Credits, they will automatically credited into the indicated account. The head of household manages the points and receives the full Status Credits for the family group, allowing them to reach Velocity elite status much faster.

All points earned into all household member’s Velocity accounts are pooled automatically on an ongoing basis. That includes those from credit card sign-up bonuses.

This is especially powerful for anyone paying for flights for a full family on Virgin Australia or one of their partners where you would otherwise earn Status Credits into individual accounts. For example, this screenshot shows the result of Family Points Pooling for a paid Business Class trip from Sydney to London with Etihad:

Velocity Family Pooling
This member earned 1,120 Status Credits, more than enough to reach Velocity Platinum

Admittedly, this is an extreme example, as few people travel in paid Business Class with their family. However, you can see that the benefits are multiplied significantly by using Family Points Pooling.

How to set up Velocity Family Points Pooling

  1. Decide who will be the beneficiary of the Points and Status Credits Pooling
  2. Each contributor must log into their Velocity account and navigate to Family Pooling in My Velocity
  3. Follow the three easy prompts to confirm the details of your Family Points Pooling

How to use Family Points Pooling to share status earn

Another upside to Family Points Pooling is that Status Credits from everyone’s travel across the pool are combined to the beneficiary’s account. This means they earn status much faster—and can potentially then guest other family pool members into lounges and share other status benefits if travelling together.

Updates to the pool setup can be made at any time. This means you can reorganise who the beneficiary or the contributors are if you are looking to improve another member’s status once you’ve hit your own status target. That way they can enjoy some of the perks that come along with achieving Velocity Silver, Gold or Platinum status.

Virgin Australia Melbourne lounge seating
Velocity Gold and Platinum members get lounge access when travelling on Virgin Australia and partner airlines

Remember that if your family member is close to a status upgrade, you may want to wait to set up pooling. That’s because their points/credits will automatically be given to you and they would not be able to achieve the next level.

Does Qantas Frequent Flyer have family pooling?

Qantas doesn’t allow household accounts or pooling like Velocity, but they do offer the ability to transfer points to another nominated family member. Note that Qantas may do spot checks on transfers and accounts to ensure you are actually transferring to an eligible family member.

Exterior of a Qantas Airlines A330 Airplane | Point Hacks
Qantas does not have a Family Points Pooling feature, however, family members can transfer their points on-demand

Which airlines offer family pooling of points/miles?

Etihad Guest, Velocity Frequent Flyer, Emirates Skywards, British Airways Executive Club, ANA Mileage Club and JAL Mileage Bank allow you to combine points/miles with family members. There are other frequent flyer programs too but these are the most relevant to an Australian audience.

How to use Velocity Family Points Pooling and Transfers to combine points and status between accounts was last modified: April 28th, 2020 by Matt Moffitt

How to use Velocity Family Points Transfers

Velocity Family Points Transfers are a little different to Family Points Pooling. They don’t require you to link your Velocity accounts on an ongoing basis to merge your balances.

You can make up to four transfers per year, which are free when performed online. There’s a minimum transfer of 5,000 points, and a maximum of 125,000 points.

The transfer is initiated from Link & Transfer > Family Points Transfer once you are logged into your Velocity account. You’ll perform the transfer from the account of the member who is transferring the points out.

Velocity Family Points Transfer screenshot

You are required to input the recipient’s details and confirm they are an eligible family member before making the transfer.

Should you use Family Points Pooling or Transfers?

The definition of family in both cases is the same across either system. An eligible family member may be any of the following:

  • husband/wife/domestic partner/de facto
  • parent/child
  • brother/sister
  • grandparent/grandchild
  • son-/daughter-in-law
  • brother-/sister-in-law
  • father-/mother-in-law
  • uncle/aunt
  • nephew/niece
  • first cousin
  • any foster, step or adopted relationship in any of these categories

All members must reside at the same home address. Proof of this may be requested if Velocity suspects any wrongdoing.

Virgin Australia Kids Class
Family Points Transfers allow for a wide range of transfers than Family Points Pooling

Advantages of Family Points Pooling

Family Points Pooling is much simpler to deal with on an ongoing basis. It requires no admin to keep on top of and is ideal for families in which there is a primary travelling family member. Everyone must live at the same address.

The downside is the more fixed nature of the status and points balances, which cannot be redistributed once pooled together. If that’s not a concern, go for family pooling.

Advantages of Family Transfers

The upside of Family Points Transfers is the additional flexibility for points balance management. Family Transfers allow you to combine a wider range of family members’ balances, including those not at the same address.

However, note the restrictions on the minimum and maximum transfer amounts and frequency of calendar-year transfers to be able to combine points. Furthermore, Status Credits cannot be transferred between family members.

A full list of Velocity Frequent Flyer family benefits

Summing up

Velocity Frequent Flyer’s Family Points Pooling feature rewards households for shifting their full loyalty to Virgin Australia and their partners, including points earned from credit cards.

Family Points Transfers allow more flexibility, but you need to note the restrictions on transfer amounts and frequency.

In either system, the terms around eligible family members need to be acknowledged. While there are no hard checks on family members other than the address requirement for pooling, you’ll need to decide how comfortable you are skirting these rules if you decide to combine balances from further afield. As such, I’d recommend against it.

Remembering that Family Points Pooling and Transfers exist is a key part of managing and growing your Velocity Points balance to a usable amount for a best-use redemption.

How to use Velocity Family Points Pooling and Transfers to combine points and status between accounts was last modified: April 28th, 2020 by Matt Moffitt